Ochamchire Abkhazia: Casualty of War

On the east coast of the Black Sea, about 125 miles (200km) south of Sochi, sits the shell of a once-vibrant town. Ochamchire (also Ochamchira) was once a pleasant coastal retreat in Georgia, but an ethnic war following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union resulted in the territory becoming largely abandoned.

Now the city is part of the Abkhazia Republic, and less than a tenth of the city’s pre-war population remains. With entire city blocks abandoned, Ochamchire is a shell of its former self. Today many of those who stayed are trying to take care of what’s left for a population that won’t return.

Background

Not far are the eastern coastlines of the Black Sea, which offer hundreds of miles of sandy beaches with spectacular water views. Today this region is the partially recognized republic of Abkhazia, however it was a territory of Georgia until 1992.

Abkhazia has a rich history – both figuratively and literally – as it was once a Greek colony and later one of the wealthiest provinces in the former Soviet Union. Ochamchire was the site of the ancient Greek colony settlement of Guenos. Later, the Romans left baths and medieval defensive stone walls still visible today. After the Roman occupation the region saw a decline; by the thirteenth century the ancient Greek city became overgrown.

In the fourteenth century Genoese merchants established a trading post on the site of present-day Ochamchire. Known as Ala Gunda, the market became celebrated for its craftsmanship and sword trade. After the Turkish invasion came decades of Turkish occupation. Turkish influence led to a renaming of the site: Oshimshir (later Ochamchire), from the Turkish “shamshir,” or sabre.

Abkhazia coast during Balkan War, 1877

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Conflict After Fall of U.S.S.R.

Behind the economic growth of the twentieth century was a burgeoning divide between two groups: Those native to the Abkhaz region and the ethnic Georgians. Northwestern Georgia was a war zone for much of the 1990s, and the result was a separate state. A de-facto, independent, and only partially recognized republic named Abkhazia.

The Abkhaz people consider their independence a liberation from Georgia, while Georgians believe that historically, Abkhazia has always been part of Georgia, and thus this was a secession. Regional tension had been high before, but when the Soviet Union was officially dissolved in 1991 it sparked revolutionary power struggles around its many republic states.

“I lived in Abkhazia 15 years ago, in the small town of Akhaldaba, Ochamchire district. Abkhaz attacked our village on September 16th, 1993. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HIDE anywhere from the bullets which rained down on us.”

New Republic of Abkhazia & Reaction

By the summer of 1993 the physical fighting in the Caucasus slowed as the war came to an end. The Abkhaz separatists had won but paid a price for freedom. Abkhazia had lost its industry, two-thirds of its population, and was in ruins.

The new de-facto independent state of Abkhazia was only recognized by Russia, not the United Nations or the world at large. This meant no trade with the rest of the free world, leaving Abkhaz towns such as Ochamchire without a “legal” economy. That side effect would result in the departure of not only ethnic Georgians, but also the Abkhaz themselves, as many left searching for jobs and better opportunity.

Amputating the region from Georgia cost an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 lives and displaced roughly 250,000 Georgians. More than 20,000 homes owned by ethnic Georgians were destroyed. Hundreds of churches, historical monuments, hospitals, and schools were also pillaged and destroyed.

“The [Abkhaz] separatist forces committed widespread atrocities against the Georgian civilian population, killing many women, children, and elderly, capturing some as hostages and torturing others … they also killed large numbers of Georgian civilians who remained behind in Abkhaz-seized territory … Those fleeing Abkhazia made highly credible claims of atrocities, including the killing of civilians without regard for age or sex. Corpses recovered from Abkhaz-held territory showed signs of extensive torture”

In March of 2006 the Hague War Crimes Tribunal announced the results from its full-scale investigation. The Tribunal concluded it would prosecute and start hearings against the separatists who had committed war crimes.

By May of 2008 the United Nations officially recognized the atrocities when it adopted resolution A/RES/62/249, which “emphasizes the importance of preserving the property rights of refugees and internally displaced persons from Abkhazia.”

While under the Soviet umbrella the region experienced relative prosperity. From 1921 until 1931 Abkhazia enjoyed the same status as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other Soviet republics. It gained factories, ports, and a railroad, resulting in an economic boom.

Ochamchire Today

Physical conflict has subsided although the region is far from healed. Ochamchire still maintains a small population which acts as a skeleton crew to keep portions of the town operating and tidy.

But most of the town is eerily empty. You wouldn’t know the town was occupied if not for the occasional sound of a woman sweeping her porch. Visitors have reported seeing more stray animals than people.

The majority of town still wears scars from war. Almost everything have been vacated; empty houses still have outlines of flames above blackened windowless frames. Roofs seem to be sporadically missing tiles, some offer vegetation a place to escape from inside.

Roads were shelled into Swiss cheese, and the town’s train station is still in shambles. The stump of a sculpture sits in front of a destroyed hospital, robbed of its feature decades ago. Soot stains are tattooed across entire neighborhoods as a grim reminder of the town’s past.

Some homes had effects left behind, items that managed to escape the pillaging over twenty years ago; an old TV or typewriter here, a broken desk or wardrobe there.

Despite the turbulent history there are places in the district worth visiting if one has the opportunity, including the aforementioned ruins of the ancient Greek colony of Guenos, the giant Abriskila Cave with its underground stream Achkitizgo, and the ancient Mokvi Cathedral(pictured above right).

Tourism opportunities are understandably limited with the economic choke-hold on the region, but the people who remain are warm. Much of the youth lack their parents’ vitriol toward the other side. Elders vividly remember the war; nobody is proud of it. Few can easily or often discuss such matters.

Hopefully lessons are learned. Similar to the forced-evacuation of the abandoned resort in Varosha, Cyprus, the Georgians separated from their homes in Abkhazia were merely collateral damage to a greater ideological difference. It is a shame that such disagreements can prevent coexistence.

One has to wonder if the result is better than the previous arrangement. Did the removal of ethnic Georgians improve things for the Abkhaz? If the fortunes of Ochamchire and its former residents are any indication, it would appear not.

A refugee kommunalka in Tbilisi. A kommunalka is an apartment building with shared kitchen & bath. This building was used as student housing until the Georgia-Abkhazia war of 1992-93, when it became home to Georgian refugees from Abkhazia. (courtesy Rob Hornstra)

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Watch: A Drive through Ochamchire

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An Abkhazia poem courtesy S-I reader Noctua:

“The town is mostly silent now,though the scars still left run deep.Ethnic cleansing not the sort of mess,that can be washed away with bleach.”

“To the victors go the spoils,revenge is a dish best served cold,while in the survivors lives they toil,for everyone eventually grows old.”

42 COMMENTS

Thanks, good to know the video was helpful! I’m always tinkering with what I include in the articles, trying to find a good balance between too much information and helpful additions. Feedback on what I include or fail to include is always appreciated. Cheers!

Yeah sorry about that Pop. Abandoned places don’t often have happy endings. These places are dour by nature when in decay. My hope is by recalling the busier times we remember the places when they were vibrant.

Answers to both questions are yes and no. I would not visit unless I was familiar with the region. During my research I did see quite a few Russians visit the country, entering from the north. Those folks had arranged to have a local Abkhaz person take them on a personal tour. This isn’t something you can book on Expedia, however, so unless you are Russian or have friends in Sochi I would probably not consider visiting at this time.

I did not see anything about patrols in my research, however I did see notices of gates with guards near the borders. But the Russian tourists were able to get through, so I cannot speak to how strict the guards are or what they are particularly guarding against.

I am an American and spent most of August 2015 in Abkhazia and a good deal of that in Ochamchira. I can say without hesitation it is perfectly safe and all the people I met were friendly. The border at Inguri was interesting to cross but there was no difficulty in either direction. I think it’s safe to say the break up of the Soviet Union and what followed has caused economic hardship for millions of people. In Abkazia it’s independence from Georgia has caused it to pay a high price. The enforce mbargo which Georgia has pushed did not help. The Georgian side of the border in Zugdidi seems ready to live and let live but the politics in Sumhumi and Tblisis have a different view. I seem to have digressed, from saying Abkhazia is perfectly safe for tourism and it certainly is a beautiful place. David Smith, King Ferry, New York

Thanks for this valuable feedback David, good to know. I have never been and could only repeat what I had read online posted by others; thanks for your first-hand account. I agree with you about the unfortunate result of economic hardship for millions, I hope that some day soon the region can find stability and prosperity again. Cheers for the comment!

And no, no, its your extensive writing that makes the site stand out as a pleasure to read, please don’t change your style to be more like mine.

The Wiki page you linked to, about the War Crimes in the region, was a tough piece to read, harsh and horrific as it was, though I’m glad you linked to it, instead of writing about it in the article here.

PS – While just FYI the Abriskila Cave link does not appear to link correctly?

Thanks Noctua, appreciate that. Yes there were much harsher itmes I chose not to include; the message is already conveyed in the article without needing to go into detail. The quote from the female prisoner goes into grotesque detail. I did not want to re-print it here. Thanks for the heads up on the Abriskila cave link, I have fixed it!

Hey potedude, good to hear from you again! Agree, I wouldn’t mind having a few hours to explore the town. Almost like Pripyat, but without the radiation fears. 100% agree your sentiment about the residents. Regardless of one’s belief system or ethnicity, this was a great tragedy.

Hi Sean, according to the photographer, that was a warehouse full of gas masks. What we’re seeing in the photo (higher resolution version here) is probably what happens after several decades of decomposition.

Thanks for the info. The entire scene in the photo reminds me of something you would come across in a post-apocalyptic themed computer game ( think Fallout) To se a real life photo of something like this is a little disturbing.

This is fabulous. I’d love to visit this place. I feel like your article gave me an intellectual picture of Ochamchire, but I feel like the actual tastes, smells and sounds of the place would be amazing.

Oh you can visit, it is possible yes. I meant if only there was a way to capture the sounds and smells and include it in a blog post. Granted, we may not always want to share the smells, but you know… 😉

Fascinating but a terrible monument to our ability to destroy ourselves. For the ‘victors’ of the Georgia-Abkhazia war the spoils of victory must be a terrible place to live in, and to know what they did to get it.

I spent the month of August 2015 in Ochamchira. It is completely safe, the people are friendly, the sea was warm, the mountains beautiful. That being said the city is trying to come back, but after 20+ years of embargo nothing has been easy and there is a long long way to go. The war like all wars was hell for everyone, Abkhaz as well as Georgians. It is still a wound that is in the process of healing. It has been slow to heal but the healing has started. It will be 100 years before it is complete if then. You can visit Abkhazia either from Russia or Georgia either way is easy and perfectly safe.

David, thanks for sharing with us the first-hand account. It is good to know things have gotten better – at least enough for visitation. Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip, I can believe you as I never read anything negative about the beauty of the region. Thanks for the comment, cheers.

Hi,
I am doing research about abandonment in human settlements (and brownfields)
Currently, I am focused on 19th and 20th century towns founded in era and location of mining fever / planned economy / one dominating purpose,.that have already gone through the development climax and demographic maximum; towns that are loosing population and have been shrinking in past decades..
It will be a great help if you could give me any advice on getting any of Town plan, Town development plan, original /historical development plan, or redirecting me to anyone who may be helpful in this topic.
maybe we can communicate via e-mail.
Thank you for any info.

Hello Alena – sounds like you are looking for company towns, or towns established by a company for a single purpose. There are hundreds of good candidates. In the United States there are cities such as Detroit, Michicgan and Gary, Indiana – both still “alive” but much smaller from their industrial peaks nearly sixty years ago. Unfortunately I don’t have town development plans on these places, but a good place to look might be the district you want to research’s library, their chamber of commerce, or a local historical society. I’ve used each of these methods before to obtain information about places, each requires no more than a phone call or email. Feel free to email me if you have additional questions or if I can be of further help. My email address is on our contact page. Cheers, and good luck.

Thank you for the thoughtful comment Stephen. I agree, it would be a wonderful thing if the residents could mend their differences and find a way to coexist peacefully. The people deserve it. Thanks for stopping by.